NEW YORK (AP) — Avian influenza claimed its first life in the United States, a Louisiana resident who had remained hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms, state health officials said Monday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that this is the country’s first death from avian influenza.
Health officials said the individual was over 65, had underlying medical conditions, and had contact with sick and dead poultry in a home coop. They also noted that a genetic analysis indicated the avian influenza virus had mutated within the patient, which could have contributed to a more severe illness.
So far, few additional details about the patient have been released.
Since March, the United States has reported 66 confirmed human infections with avian influenza, but earlier cases had been mild and most were detected among agricultural workers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows.
A death from avian influenza was not unexpected, according to expert virologists. More than 460 people have died from various strains of the H5N1 avian influenza since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
The avian influenza virus “is a serious threat and historically has been a deadly virus,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Center for Pandemics at the Brown University School of Public Health. “This is just a tragic reminder of it.”
Nuzzo noted that a Canadian teenager became seriously ill after a recent infection. Investigators are still trying to assess the dangers of the current version of the virus and determine what causes it to affect some people more than others, she explained.
“Just because we have seen mild cases does not mean future cases will continue to be mild,” she added.
CDC officials said in a statement that the Louisiana death was tragic, but they also noted that “there are no concerning virological changes actively spreading among wild birds, poultry or cattle that would raise the risk to human health.”
In two of the recent cases in the United States — an adult in Missouri and a child in California — health authorities have not yet determined how they were infected. The source of the Louisiana patient’s infection was not considered a mystery. However, it marked the first human case in the United States linked to exposure to household poultry on a farm, according to the CDC.
Louisiana officials say they are not aware of other cases in the state, while federal authorities have said they have no evidence that the virus is spreading from person to person.
H5N1 avian influenza has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cattle and other animals. Its growing presence in the environment increases the chances of exposure and transmission to humans, according to officials.
Authorities continue urging people who are in contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including using respiratory and eye protection, as well as gloves when handling poultry.
